


Shamed Creations

by Finlaena



Category: Warframe
Genre: Alien Biology, Gen, Gen Work, Heart-to-Heart, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Selectively Mute Operator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:21:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28505130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finlaena/pseuds/Finlaena
Summary: Under the sinewy canopies of Deimos, two lost and wounded souls cross paths and begin to change one another's lives forever.Repost from 2020
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	1. Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> This is a repost of a story from 2020, done after doing one too many missions on Deimos. There may be minor alterations from the original version posted. 
> 
> Thank you, and enjoy.

Soaring over the landscape of Deimos, Titania couldn’t help but bask in the beauty of it all. Twisted, hideous beauty. An oxymoron, to be sure, but in Titania’s mind, it made perfect sense.

She had come with a group of her fellow Tenno, which included Baruuk, Wisp, and Vauban. The other three had gone on ahead to see if there was any validity to the rumors there was a marooned group of Grineer Marines in the Cambion Drift. The faerie, being able to shift size, was sent to scope out the broader surface of Deimos as reconnaissance… or so Vauban had said it was. Titania suspected he wanted to get her out of his hair as Vauban often made it quite clear he didn’t have patience for her mischievous antics when they worked together.

Well, she certainly wasn’t going to turn down a chance to fly free.

It all appeared to be business as usual, and oddly calm during the Vome cycle. What Titania didn’t know was that even during Vome, there were still dangers to be had lurking about, as she found out the hard way.

* * *

It hit her so fast: a sharp, blast of some kind of corrosive substance. At her diminutive stature, it struck her harder than it would have at full-size. The last thing she recalled was spiraling out of control and being hurtled down towards the surface of the Cambion Drift. The world around her became a blur, until an abrupt darkness struck.

Titania wasn’t sure how long she had been knocked out, all she knew is that whatever that corrosive gunk was that struck her, it packed a considerable wallop and took her out cold, but not enough to completely disrupt the somatic link.

Regardless of the ‘why’ and ‘what’ of her current circumstance, she awoke in an unfamiliar cave. At least, she presumed it was a cave, judging by the undulating stalactites and stalagmites, and the undulating pustules and fronds that lined the craggy walls and halls.

Twisted, hideous beauty, indeed.

After attempting to try and connect with her group first, and then Ordis; both to no avail, the faerie resolved it was best to try and find a way out. If her occasional mining ventures on Orb Vallis were any indication, it’s that sprawling subterranean networks always had an entrance and exit… most of the time.

With a huff, Titania floated down one narrow hall after another, seemingly repeating after a while. It wasn’t typical of her to be anxious, but well, anxiety started to creep in that maybe, just maybe, she was indeed trapped down here.

“... Oh, you have to be kidding me… parts from Loid later…”

Titania cocked her head. That voice. That raspy, exhausted voice. The one that belonged to someone in the Entrati family, but she shamefully couldn’t place it right away.

Following the voice, Titania fluttered down a different direction, until she came across a clearing. Orokin ruins, dismantled Necramechs, Lucent Terraglobes. It dawned on her that these things, these random things, belonged to the one called Father.

“Great. Just great.” He grunted. “Guess I have no choice but to go back to the Necralisk and—“

Titania froze in place.

So too, did Father.

They stared at one another. Not a single sound, save for the distant growls and howls of the native Infested in the distance.

“Who the hell…” Father inched forward in his pod. “ _Tenno?!?_ What are _you_ doing here?!” He slithered up from the pod, until his entire person -or what was left of it- towered over the faerie.

Terrified, Titania stepped backwards, and tripped on a decent sized stone. In mid-fall, she shrunk to diminutive size and fluttered up behind a pile of mechanical parts on a makeshift shelf from Orokin rubble. The twisted Orokin was intimidating at her regular size; at this scale, he was downright terrifying.

“H-hey!” Father’s tone shifted pitch. “Don’t you run away on me, Tenno!” He slithered over to the shelf, tearing apart its contents with his one arm to find Titania in a frenzied state.

Moving a pile of Pustules aside, Father happened upon Titania, who was crouched and now surrounded by dozens of Razorflies as a shield. She unfurled herself and summoned the Razorflies back to her, rising to a hovering position; her wings cautiously open as support.

“Sheesh. Make me feel bad by looking all adorable while you’re hiding there,” Father rubbed his left shoulder. “Seriously though, what are _you_ doing _here_?” He cocked his head.

Titania shrugged.

“Oh, I get it now. Did my wife send you to drag me back to the Necralisk again?” His tone was jeering and filled with suspicion. “If she did, I’m _not_ going.”

She shook her head side to side emphatically.

“Good.” Father pulled back into his pod. It was clear to Titania now that he wasn’t going to hurt her, at least, not yet. “The last thing I want is for that woman to know where I’m hiding. I need space from those people that are called my family before I can go back there and subject myself to their barbs and scorn, and boy, today is just one of _those_ days, if you catch my drift.”

Curiously, Titania floated over to the edge of the shelf. She observed that Father’s face had an expression of exhaustion, with an underlying current of sorrow. What could possibly be going through his mind, she wondered. Oh, how she wondered.

“So, what brings you here?”

Silence.

“A Tenno of few words, are you?” Father chuckled. “Or did a kavat get your tongue?”

Titania tilted her head. “Yes.”

Father’s brow furrowed, seemingly surprised at the fact she was, indeed, capable of speech. “Huh. I can respect that.”

It wasn’t that Titania was incapable of speech, far from it. It was that her Operator wasn’t exactly the most talkative individual to begin with and if one was faced with a giant Infested Orokin after invading their private sanctuary, well, would they be inclined to be a chatterbox, too?

It was only right for her to give him an answer, seeing as she unwittingly invaded his haphazard sanctuary. “I was out hunting for supplies. I was attacked.” The Razorflies performed pantomime as Titania told the tale. “I ended up here, wherever ‘here’ is.”

A petal from the pod raised up, affording Father the opportunity to lean back and recline. “‘Here’ just so happens to be my private hideaway from the rest of this voidforsaken world.” Father sighed. “Not so private now that you’re here, though.” He rapt his fingers on what used to be his chest. “Ah well. Guess it’s nice to have company from time to time.”

The faerie inspected what appeared to be a Necramech part with intense curiosity, and also in an attempt to avoid looking at Father’s face, lest she be drawn back into pouring over every line and wrinkle. She accidentally knocked it over. Father caught it without even thinking.

“So long as you don’t break the merchandise,” he added.

Titania bowed apologetically.

“Wow. Someone with manners around here. I like you more already!” Father placed the part back with the others.

“Thank you...?” Titania tilted her head, wondering if he was being sarcastic or genuine. It was hard to tell with the Entrati. He was far more amiable than Mother, that much was true.

* * *

The pair spent the next hours, how many neither knew, conversing with each other. Father weaved stories of his past life as an Orokin weaponsmith, and showed great passion when discussing Necramechs in particular. Titania, though one of few words, told her own tales of dealing with the Infested on Eris and elsewhere in the Origin System.

As conversation slowed down, Father shifted his body against the pod. “Hey, Tenno, how much longer are you planning on sticking around Deimos? Not that I blame you if you want to cut loose right away. If I could’ve, I would’ve ages ago… but that’s beside the point.”

The diminutive faerie tapped her fingertips.

“I’m going to take that as a yes, you _are_ hanging around.” Father shifted position in his pod. “Well, if you’re up for it, all I ask is that if you find anything useful out there, you bring it to me. Never hurts to have surplus, and you can reap the benefits from my personal projects. You get first dibs, deal?”

He looked away from Titania and coughed. “Just… bring them here instead of the Necralisk, okay?”

She peered at Father, tapping a finger against the jawline of her helm, and nodded profusely.

“Excellent.” Father snapped his fingers. “This is going to be the start of a wonderful partnership, Tenno, I can feel it.” He cleared his throat. “And I… It was nice to be able to talk to someone who isn’t out for my blood for a change. Wouldn’t mind doing it again sometime.”

In an instant, the Tenno changed back to full-size, and the Razorflies that had been fluttering to and fro in the cave snapped back onto her appendages. “Likewise!” Her wings twitched. “Umm… how do I get out of here?”

Father hesitantly laughed. “Oh yeah, forgot to mention this is basically a one-way. Meant to keep the Infested out of here. If you don’t mind, I can give you a ride back to the surface.” He rubbed his neck. “But, ahh, you’re going to need to do the shrinking thing again. Doubt you’ll be able to fit as-is.”

Of all the things she had expected to encounter or do on Deimos, riding with an Infested Orokin through those strange pods was certainly not one of them.

But she certainly wasn't going to say 'no', either.


	2. Acquaintance

In the days and weeks that followed since their fateful meeting, Titania and Father continued to forge their professional relationship, which soon turned into an unlikely friendship between Tenno and Orokin… well, an Orokin mutated by the Infested, but an Orokin nonetheless.

Titania often made return trips back to Deimos alone, often to see Father and check up on how he was doing. A few choice words, namely about his treatment by his children and especially his wife, were a cause of great concern to her and thus she decided for Father’s sake, she would try to at least be a positive presence in his otherwise miserable existence.

She found Father to be a kindred spirit through their many talks. She too was rejected and loathed by those she considered to be family (Silvana, in this case, though things did reach an understanding), and frequently felt useless when teaming up with other Tenno in missions and assignments given to them by the Syndicates and Teshin. While not the exact same as trying to train a family to protect themselves against the Infestation and failing at it, she felt the sentiment was roughly the same.

* * *

“Chip! You are late, you hear me? _Laaaaate_! Ooooh, he won’t be too happy about that!”

Titania found herself mere inches away from the crudely painted smiling face of Otak, who was pressing up against her.

“My apologies, Tenno!” Loid swiveled into view, floating backwards. “Otak is only following orders from Father to let you know he requested your appearance upon arrival. As he has been absent from the Necralisk for the last cycle, I admit I am not sure why---”

“ _LAAAAAAAAAAAATE!_ ”

“ _Ahem_. As he has been absent from the Necralisk for the last cycle, I do admit I am not sure why he would want to see you when he is not here.”

Not unsurprising, Titania thought. She reasoned he was likely in what became known as the ‘Hidden Place’, though whether or not Loid -or Otak- knew about it was not something she was willing to discuss out of respect for Father’s privacy.

Titania curtsied, as Razorflies swirled around her.

Otak, assuming control of Loid’s chassis, flailed about impotently as Titania floated away. “Hey, what about _me_ , Chip?! I was the one told to relay the message to you! What am I, chopped blastoma?”

* * *

By this point, Titania had become familiar with an entrance to the hidden place, which was near the edge of the Actuary’s Pride. Father had reworked the entrance so that she could enter, albeit when shrunken down to small stature. Certainly made it more accessible than by falling out of the sky and rolling down into the unknown.

After navigating the now recognizable tunnels, Titania beheld Father in the hiding spot, tinkering away at what appeared to be an assortment of Necramech-related flotsam and jetsam. She quietly waved to get his attention, not wanting to disrupt his concentration.

“Tenno! Good to see you!” Father beamed. “Wait until you see what I’ve been working on!”

Titania returned to original size, and floated over to give him a hug on the side with his missing arm. To her surprise, Father keened and flinched, indicating an immense discomfort at the slightest physical attention directed towards him.

“I’m so sorry, I---” Titania pulled back, pressing her pointed digits against her sternum.

Unfurling, Father waved his hand. “Achhh, no, _I’m_ sorry, I should’ve... “ He drew in a deep breath. “Look, I don’t exactly have a good relationship with the whole physical contact thing from others.” His head nervously looked to his left. “Long story.”

Titania observed that his gaze lingered on his mutilated left shoulder longer than expected. There _had_ to have been some story behind it, and she was determined to find out one way or another. There had to be a way to gently coax him into talking about it.

The faerie sat down on a rock beside his pod. “I have time.”

Father snorted. “Should’ve figured you’re the curious type. You and Kaeli both. Except you’re more pleasant to be around.”

“I only want to know so I can be more accommodating to you,” Titania insisted. “That’s what a caring friend does, right?”

Slithering out of the bulb as far as its tether would allow him, Father rested on his belly beside the Tenno, his lone arm bent in a way to support his head as he rested it upon its side. His brow was furrowed, more than usual; his lips contorted into an expression that she couldn’t place.

“Alright. You really wanna know why?” His breathing became shallow. “Fine.”

Titania watched as he closed his eyes.

“Mother was never really a physically affectionate type. We only really did… _it_ because she wanted to have a legacy to continue her damned father’s research if in the event she died. Beyond that? Hah, good luck.” There was a bitterness to his laugh. “Think she spent more time hitting me for any perceived wrongdoing, who knows.”

Father buried his face in the fold of his elbow. “Then _that_ day came. I can't exactly recall what led to it, but I told Mother that she needed to let go of her father. _Big_ mistake, right there.” He curled inward. “She took that blasted Seriglass of hers and cut me with it, _over and over_. I don’t remember how many times she did. I don’t even _want_ to remember. Not after seeing the blood pool under me and my own children watching as I did nothing to defend myself. Nothing at all.”

Gasping, Titania pressed her hands against her face in mute horror.

“A few years later, I gave Kaeli a weapon to help her in self-defense. A noble idea, you know. Can’t defend yourself against the Infested with a limp fish.” He rolled onto his side, and slowly traced the length of his body from breast to hip. “How did she thank me? She _clawed_ me with it.”

The anguish in his tone was palpable to Titania. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, and felt a white hot anger building up inside her; indignant and swift. How she wanted to, right then and there, storm back to the Necralisk and give those awful Entrati a piece of her mind: strike Kaeli with one of her fish, and have a swarm of Razorflies tear the skin off of Mother’s dour face.

“The Infestation manifested where I’d been assaulted. All these pustules and scabs, that’s where they struck me. Made my lame arm molt right off.” A weak chuckle. “At least the void took some pity on me and left me with my dominant hand.”

Yet, gazing upon Father, who by now retracted back into the sinewy bulb that housed him, Titania knew she was exactly where she needed to be.

“Father, I…” Titania choked. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry they did that to you.”

Father slunk down into the bulb, and draped his upper torso against the rim. “Don’t feel sorry for me, Tenno. I realized I was useless to them a long time ago. Useless to them _and_ to myself.” He paused. “Maybe you too.”

Snapping into tiny form, Titania flew up to Father’s eye level. With hesitance, she reached out her hand towards the disfigured side of his face.

His breath hitched as it gently touched his cheek.

But this time, he did not flinch.


	3. Associate

_Vilcor_. 

The whip in its moment of striking.

That was his name now. 

Chosen by Kaeli, the one who had struck him in revenge for his insistence on military drills and weapons training to combat the Infested that encroached upon them. And in her choosing his name, they began to talk more between each other. Understandings had been reached, and were continued to be reached. 

Vilcor waited for his beloved friend, Titania, to return to Deimos so he could tell her all that had happened since she departed. Oh, how his heart brimmed with excitement! 

Days turned into weeks. Titania never showed up, nor did she send Loid any correspondence.

* * *

“Are you _sure_ her Orbiter hasn’t been sighted entering the Drift?” Vilcor’s tone was one on edge. “We have Tenno coming in often, her ship _has_ to have been one of them!” 

Loid meekly hovered before his master. “I do apologize, but I have scoured my records at every request, and I cannot find any aircraft that matches the profile. I assure you, when I have found a match, you shall be the first to know!” 

With a huff, Vilcor sunk into his pod. “Void, maybe she _does_ think I’m useless after all…” he mumbled under his breath, hoping against all hope neither Loid or Otak would notice.

“Awwh, chin up, Daddy-O!” Otak hovered dangerously close to the left side of Vilcor’s head. “Sure, Chip thinks you’re useless, but you’re---!”

Whether it was the Cephalon’s irritatingly blithe cadence as he said those words or the tempest of emotions bubbling inside the pit of what remained of his stomach, Vilcor struck Otak with the remnants of a gilded decoration from the wall behind him. With a frustrated growl, Vilcor slid down into the fleshy bulb, bellowing at the Cephalon to leave him alone.

Otak slid to a stop at the foot of another bulb in the adjacent room. “... Was it something I said?” 

* * *

In a cruel twist of irony, Titania showed up at the Necralisk not long after Vilcor’s abrupt departure. This, of course, caused great distress for Loid, who also didn’t know where the Orokin had disappeared to. 

Titania had become more comfortable conversing with Loid and Otak, but still measured her speech. “You don’t know where he is?” 

“I am afraid so, Tenno.” Loid dipped towards the ground. “He was clearly in emotional distress, and I--”

A yawn interrupted the Necraloid. “If I may give you a word of advice, Tenno, it’s not polite to leave someone hanging. Especially the sort that are terribly insecure about themselves and how they are perceived by those around them.”

Titania hid behind Loid as the one known simply as Grandmother rose up from her bulb. While nowhere near as intimidating as the rest of the dysfunctional Entrati clan, Grandmother was affable, but the faerie couldn’t help but sense an undercurrent of passive-aggressive malice in some of her words. 

“If you are looking for Father, well, Father isn’t here anymore. From a certain point of view, that is.” Grandmother tittered. “You may find someone similar to him skulking around the Cambion Drift, but he answers to a new name now. I suppose he will fill you in on the details, once you get past his bluster over being ignored for so long. All bark and no bite, that one.”

* * *

Vilcor looked out upon the vast, gnarled expanse of the Cambion Drift from the outcropping of one of the caves. Admittedly, it wasn’t exactly a good view; all of Deimos was wretched and ugly to look at. In the moment, though, it would suffice. 

His eyes turned up towards Vome. Before Titania came to Deimos like a shooting star from the sky, he would often find himself venting to the behemoth worm about everything and nothing. The worm couldn’t hear his nonsense, and he liked that just fine. It wouldn’t talk back to him like his children, it wouldn’t make some pithy insult like Grandmother, and it certainly wouldn’t strike back in physical violence like Mother.

As much as he wanted to unburden himself to the decrepit creature in the sky about his friend, he couldn’t. The words were lodged in his throat, and Vilcor couldn’t figure out why. 

“Damnit.” Vilcor exhaled; eyes downcast and closed. “Should’ve known I was useless to her after all.”

The orokin’s nose twitched. Something light and pointed landed on the broad tip of his prow. Jerking his head up, Vilcor scrunched his nose and saw a familiar Razorfly had made his face a perch. Instead of swatting it away, like he would’ve done any other nuisance, he held a finger up and allowed it to flutter over to his index fingertip.

“And just where have _you_ been?” Vilcor’s tone was tempered with worry and a hint of anger. 

The recognizable antennae of Titania popped up from behind a pile of broken fronds and ganglions. Razorflies swirled around her and Vilcor, glistening in the so-called night sky of Deimos. 

“I don’t have the time or patience for your faerie tricks, kid.” Vilcor lifted his hand up to the sky and set the Razorfly free. “Do you know how worried sick I’ve been?!” 

“I’m so sorry, Fath--Vilcor, I…” Titania struggled to find the words, especially as his new name was still a stranger to her tongue. “It was a mess. So much happened when I had to get my Orbiter repaired and I hadn’t realized until recently that I hadn’t thought to let you know what was going on.” 

Vilcor rested against a rocky structure, with his one arm keeping his upper body propped up against it, his whole person flinched as he took a deep breath. “It’s not your fault, Tenno.” Vilcor gazed up in the direction of the mammoth worm, Vome. “Guess I got so used to having someone I could talk to that wasn’t Vome for a change, I stupidly didn’t remember _you_ actually have a life outside of this damned planet.”

Titania sat down next to him. Her wings undulated in the faint wind, and a small number of Razorflies rested on what remained of Vilcor’s missing shoulder. 

“I did bring you some gifts,” said Titania. “I left them at the usual spot.”

“Oh?” Vilcor chuckled under his breath.

“Oh, yes!” Titania clapped her hands. “I can’t wait for you to see them!”

* * *

Vilcor’s jaw dropped upon seeing the numerous crates, moreso after opening them and beholding blueprints, weapons parts, and various ores and gems of unknown origin to him. Admittedly, he had a crude understanding of the makes and models belonging to the Corpus and Grineer (Garv and Latrox were both hesitant to give up their arms for research), but he felt he was resourceful enough to repurpose them into something better. 

The orokin held up an ornate, golden blade, inspecting it with an awestruck eye. “By the void! This belonged to the original Redeemer! I haven’t seen this since my apprenticeship days!” He laughed, though he did not know why. “Where in the system did you even find this?”

Titania spun around and sent the Razorflies in every direction. “I did a little bit of trading. You’d be surprised at how much offering some random junk will net you.”

Thumbing through blueprints and knick-knacks, Vilcor felt something swelling up in his chest. Inwardly terrified of what that something was, he set all of it back and abruptly closed the cases. Best to not let Titania see him in a moment of nervousness; bad enough she saw him out in the Drift earlier. 

“Right.” He exhaled rather loudly. “I tell ya’, meeting you was probably one of the best things that could’ve ever happened to me since, well, yeah.” He gripped his left shoulder. 

“Well, I do have one last thing I want to show you.” Titania reached inside the crate, pulling up a container that couldn’t have been bigger than the size of a Wyrm sentinel placed upon its side. Upon further inspection, it was a terrarium. The terrarium itself was modest. Moss, some rocks, and a couple of twigs. All things Vilcor hadn’t seen in… he couldn’t recall the last time he saw anything remotely resembling nature, let alone was able to remember what nature looked like.

“ _Huh_.” He rapt a finger on the terrarium’s glass pane. “No offense, but what use would I have for something like _this_? Even Kaeli’s fish could be repurposed as a form of defense… sort of.” Vilcor squinted. “Maybe Grandmother would like this. She’s into these kinds of knick-knacks.”

Saying not a single word, Titania pulled out an orange bottle from one of the crates, uncorked it, and poured a couple drops inside the container. 

Vilcor’s jaw slacked as he watched the terrarium’s contents burst into life: grass grew amidst the moss, the twigs became tiny trees with verdant leaves, and vibrant flowers sprouted beside the rocks.

“This is from the Silver Grove on Earth,” said Titania. “Where I… wait.” 

A flash of light.

Titania, lifeless and rigid, was now accompanied by a human girl who couldn’t have been more than eighteen years old, give or take. He had heard the rumors amongst his old Railjack crew that the Tenno were nothing more than the children of the Zariman Ten Zero, but now that the truth was seen with his own eyes, Vilcor wasn’t sure what to make of it. 

She nervously approached her Infested friend; her entire person trembling. Vilcor could see that one side of her face was scarred, too, not unlike his own, though it was cleverly hidden by her platinum and light blue ombre hair, and a visor covering her watery eyes.

For a fleeting moment, he swore to the Void he saw little Kaeli, at an age long before the Infestation, standing before him. A surge of emotion seized his very being.

“Where Titania was created.” 

“I—you—Tenno…” Vilcor stammered. “ _Why?!?_ ”

The Tenno wrung her hands. “When you mentioned how Kaeli hurt you, even when you were trying to protect her, and ermm… when you had remarked about wishing she’d never been born in the heat of anger, and how you had tried to protect your family from the Infestation despite their objections, it reminded me of Titania’s story. How she was shunned, rejected, and beaten by one of her creators, and in spite of it, she sacrificed herself to save their life.” She shuffled her feet. “Even after Silvana lost her humanity.”

Silence fell upon the cave, save for the faint sound of a heartbeat. From whom, neither knew. 

“Part of why it took Titania, erm, me so long to come back was because I had to gather the ingredients for the apothic.” She gulped. “I wanted to give you something to remember us by if we never did. It’s not as fancy as an Ayatan statue with all the stars, but---”

It didn’t take long for the Tenno to realize she was speaking to no one, as Vilcor abruptly disappeared without a word.

* * *

He didn’t know where he was going.

He didn’t care.

There were so many questions and no answers. None that could be solved with a weapon. Emotions that couldn’t be categorized. If he had anything resembling a heart left, it would’ve been pounding like an ancient Orokin drum. 

Emerging in another cave out in the Cambion Drift, Vilcor heaved himself over the edge of the pod and wretched. 

A lone Razorfly landed upon his mangled shoulder.


	4. Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW/CW for mention of suicide, albeit brief and not in reference to it actually happening.

Titania didn’t want to go back to Deimos and hadn’t for several months now. She wouldn’t openly admit it, but she was afraid to face Vilcor, fearful that she had indeed done something wrong to hurt him the day she gave him the Terrarium. His abrupt departure and subsequent radio silence, such as it was, gave her little confidence in trying to smooth things over. 

She eventually went back to Deimos, this time, as Nyx, accompanied by her only real friend amongst the Tenno, Baruuk. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have, but Baruuk had asked for Nyx’s help to go cut fish with Kaeli, unaware of all that had transpired over the past few months. Saying nothing, she decided her role would be to carry the fish and little else besides. 

“Mmmh, you have quite the skill,” Kaeli hummed; her tone uncomfortably seductive towards Baruuk. “Like you do it for a living.”

“Oh, it wasn’t always that way. I used to be terrible at it.” Baruuk pulled away the cloth from his helm. “I learned how to cut fish from one of my fellow Tenno on Cetus.”

Kaeli’s head tilted. “Oh? And who was this fellow Tenno?”

If Nyx was able to, she would’ve drawn in a long breath, anticipating how her friend would respond.

“Titania,” The monk nervously answered. 

Kaeli leaned forward, gripping the rim of her pod. “You know Titania?!? Do you know where she’s been?” 

Baruuk slowly looked in Nyx’s direction. “I can’t say I’ve seen her recently. Why do you ask?”

“Father spoke very highly of her. Until recently. Then he stopped speaking about her entirely.” Kaeli’s voice trailed off. “I resented her at first, you know. It was as if he loved her more than either of his children. Always spoke favorably about her and had been looking forward to seeing her every week.” The young Orokin pressed a hand against her face. “Then, something happened. He’s started treating me differently. Apologizing for the things he’s said to me over the years.”

The orokin cupped her chin in her hands, propped up on her elbows at eye level with the Tenno. “It’s funny when you think about it. All these sudden changes in our family, they all coincide with every appearance of that little faerie. A real shame she hasn’t shown up in a long time.” Kaeli sighed. “I think Father’s given up trying to find her with every Tenno ship that’s been coming to Deimos lately. Kermerros has joked that she’s probably been eaten by one of the Infested out there. I know he’s joking in his own twisted way, but… maybe he’s right.”

Unbeknownst to both Kaeli and Baruuk, Nyx knew the truth, for she had lived it. Titania had most certainly not been devoured by the Infested, but rather by her own feelings of guilt and shame at upsetting her Orokin friend so long ago. A dramatic way to describe it, as Baruuk would say, but apt nonetheless.

As the Entrati daughter had not yet heard the Tenno's voice, so she felt a fleeting comfort in saying something to her. “If there is anything you’d like us to pass on, by all means, tell us.”

Kaeli’s head tilted, indicating surprise at the realization the other Warframe had a voice. “If you do see her and she is still alive out there, somewhere, tell her I said thank you.” Kaeli slithered back into her bulb. “And that Vilcor misses her, too.” 

* * *

Their next stop in the Necralisk made the pit of Nyx’s stomach lurch.

Carrying a crate full of detritus from the Cambion Drift, they stopped before an all-too familiar bulb: Vilcor’s. Nyx, once again, stood back in silence as Baruuk summoned forth the weaponsmith of the Entrati clan. Perhaps it was the lighting, not that it ever changed much, but Nyx swore Vilcor looked more sullen than usual.

“Good to see you, Tenno.” He stretched his lone arm out. “Ah, you brought more supplies for the reserves. Excellent.” 

Vilcor peered over Baruuk’s head. “Who’s the new kid?” 

Realizing he was referencing her, Nyx turned away; arms folded tight over her chest. If she spoke in his presence, her voice would give her away.

“A friend from another Clan,” said Baruuk. “She, um, doesn’t talk much.”

“I can tell.”

As Baruuk and Vilcor chatted amongst themselves moments more, Nyx could feel her hands tremble. The longing to leave the Necralisk was growing by the second, though she kept her unseen mouth firmly shut, so as not to give away who she truly was. It wasn’t that she suddenly hated Vilcor and despised his presence, far from it, but the shame of hurting him was far too great for her to face. 

Either Baruuk heard the tapping of her foot, or he picked up on the subtleties of her body language, but the monk chose to gracefully bow out of idle conversation at the right time. “Feel free to let either Wisp or I know if you need anything else for your stockpile. We’re not doing much right now out there as it is. It’s been quiet.”

“Yeah, I should get back to fixing up some of these rusty old Necramechs. Never know when you might need them.” Vilcor mumbled. “Be safe out there, kid.”

Vilcor was not halfway back into his pod, did Nyx suddenly find her voice. 

“You too, my friend.”

Realizing what she had unwittingly done, Nyx shoved Baruuk aside and onto the ground and dashed to the entrance of the Necralisk, unable to fully hear the exclamation of utter shock and pleadings from the Orokin weaponsmith for her to come back.

* * *

The hatch to the Railjack closed, and with it, came Baruuk. With an exasperated sigh, his Operator, Toby, emerged from the Warframe and approached his fellow Tenno, who was sprawled out on the floor. 

“Azélie.” The young man snapped. “What happened back there?!”

Cephalon Cy was about to make one of his brusque quips, yet he was silenced by a hateful glare from Toby towards the ceiling. 

Azélie couldn’t bring herself to look up at her companion. Only at Titania, who was standing still next to her. Nyx had been cast aside, placed who knows where on a ship that wasn’t even hers. Her eyes, moist with tears, stung. Her chest was tight. And if the infernoesque sensation in her guts was any indication, her innards were probably on fire from anxiety. 

She pulled the hood of her suit over her face.

Toby crouched beside her. “And I sure don’t know what’s going on between you and whatever his name is now—“

“Vilcor.” Azélie rolled onto her side, clutching her lower abdomen. 

“... Between you and Vilcor, but you really need to go talk to him," Toby huffed. 

Azélie whimpered. “I can’t. I screwed everything up.”

“How?”

“I gave him a terrarium from the Silver Grove and he ran off.” She pulled the hood as tightly as she could over her face. “I didn’t mean to make him angry, I just… I just wanted to give him something special for our... our friendship.” 

Toby winced as Azélie began sobbing. It dawned on him that his tone was too harsh and having been in a similar situation himself not that long ago, it wasn't right to be rude to her about the ordeal that day.

“Awh, Zell.” He rested a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know what you’ve been doing on Deimos these last few months, but whatever it is you’ve done, you’ve left a huge impact on the Entrati down there.” The younger Tenno bit his lower lip. “That terrarium or whatever changed him in particular more than you realize.” 

His words appeared to make no impact or impression, as Azélie continued to quietly cry on the floor. Knowing that she needed the personal space, and that he probably shouldn’t continue the conversation, Toby hoisted himself up and left the lower deck in silence.

* * *

“ _Hey, kiddo_.”

With a resigned groan, Azélie’s eyes barely glanced upward and recognized the demonic visitor that bore her skin and face, and spoke with a corrupted copy of her voice, sitting on top of the Reliquary Drive. 

“Oh, go away,” she mumbled. 

Her doppelgänger rubbed its thumb and index fingers. “ _Awww, you’re just going to shrug me off like that? And here I had a solution to your problem._ ”

“Your solutions usually involve convincing me to kill myself.” The Tenno muttered. 

“ _Now, now, kiddo, I’m just letting you know there’s always a way out ‘cause you’re always so miserable and lonely._ ” The doppelgänger snorted. It reclined on the top of the Reliquary, flicking away a speck of dust from its shoulder. “ _But hear me out for once. I promise, there is no bad end this time.”_

It didn’t give her a choice in the matter. Hopping to its feet, the twisted reflection strode to Azélie, and lifted her chin up with two fingers, forcing her to stare at its hideous visage directly.

“ _You don’t need him anymore._ ” 

In its whisper, she could feel the void energy breathing down her neck. 

“ _He’s already made up with his bratty kids and that jackass he calls his wife. What use does he have for you and your dumb gift ideas now?_ ” The doppelganger cocked its head an almost perfect 90 degree angle. “ _Giving a man who’s overcompensating for his entire existence with weapons a stupid little garden? No wond---_ ” 

Gritting her teeth and making a frustrated screech, Azélie found her nerve and swatted at the demonic being before her. 

With one blink, the creature vanished.


End file.
